Upping the dosage of Concerta

[addDani]

Oooh, oooh, oooh - I'm so excited. Tomorrow my dosage is being increased from 18 mg to 36 mg. I don't think there's been much of a difference with the 18 mg - I seem to be a tiny bit more focused, but that could also be because I'm trying so hard to get some good behaviors in place too.

In any case, I believe that 36 mg is where I'm more likely to see a noticable effect (hopefully for the good). I sure hope this works!!!

Wish me luck!

[jaimegerise]

Good luck! I am a 36 mg-er also! heh

[addDani]

Thank you! Did you notice any change from 18 mg to 36 mg? If so, what did you notice. Tell me everything!!! I'm still not sure exactly what I should be looking for - so far, it seems as if I don't have as many thoughts, which, honestly, concerns me. What if I'm missing out on a great idea? :-)

I would love to hear your, and anyone else's, observations and thoughts.

Thanks!!!

[jaimegerise]

Well, I honestly can't remember much from the switch from 18 to 36...that was almost 2 years ago. But I can tell you that I briefly tried to up it to 54. The only change there was that I became a teeth clencher/grinder...especially in my sleep. So back down to 36 I went, and the teeth problem went away. The 36 works well for me, fortunately.

[gabriela]

i'm on 54 mg concerta, but my doctor and i are thinking about upping it to 72, so that i can take 54 mg in the morning, and then another 18 mg later during the day, because i get *very* tired when the drug wears of after about 10 hours...

[neuroangel]

I'm on 54mg right now...how long does it take to really work? I know it is a short-acting drug, but does a certain amount have to build up in your system?

I've been on it for nine days and havn't noticed much of a difference. I don't get hyper, I don't get tired, I still can't focus much (it has improved slightly), I still talk way too much, still unmotivated most of the time, and now I tic badly when I'm trying to sleep...with my shoulders, and my jaw keeps jutting out forward and slamming into my front upper teeth (jaw is doing that in the day too, but I can at least catch it and open my mouth when it happens so my teeth don't clank).

I'm going to stick with it for two months, I decided, to see if it takes a while to get the full effect. Any comments or suggestions?

Thanks.

Cyndi

[Gregster]

It should work right away. Stimulants don't need time to work like other psychotropic medications. I'd recommend a talk with your Dr since you don't notice any improvement. Also, the tic may well be caused or made worse by the Concerta.
54mg is a resonable dose, depending on your weight, although some people do need a fair bit more than others.
Good luck,
Greg

[neuroangel]

I'm supposed to call my doc to tell him how it's working soon, anyway. Thanks for your advice.

Cyndi

[tryn-optmsm]

I can only take concerta 36mg (18 just didn;t do it for me) once a week cause no matter when I get to sleep after 3 hrs I am up and pretty much a zombie. Which means 10 hrs weekly productivity which just isn;t cutting it.

So thinking of moving to Ritalin or Aderall.

Really weird - my shrink said not possible, probably from something else - but I do not loose my apetite - on the contrary only days I get really hungry.

Baffled but wihsing you luck.

[Gregster]

Concerta is a long acting pill and lasts longer in some people than in others. I don't know why your shink would say it's "not possible" that the Concerta would spoil your sleep. I would ask to try a the "regular" release Ritalin and see if the problem still occurs. You will have to take it several times a day, but you have control over when you take the last dose, so you can time it so that it has worn off by the time you want to sleep.
Good luck,
Greg

[lovey]

addDani, my son has been on 36 mg since January(he's 10), he was dx with Asperger's Syndrome in January of this year, but was diagnosed twice at ages 6&8 with ADHD and has always been on one ADHD med or another, this one is working for his inattention and decision making abilities. He went to live with his dad last summer and he disagrees with the dx so that was a disaster, needless to say I got him back a couple of months later in November-his dad had had enough of him. So it took J's docs several months to get him up to the 36 mgs he was on before he went to his dad's. He feels so much better now. he was on Concerta for at least a year when he left. good luck on the 36mg's.